title: Effects of sleep deprivation on serum testosterone concentrations in the rat.
abstract: Sleep deprivation (SD) leads to decreases in circulating levels of testosterone with unknown mechanisms. We tested the hypothesis that decreased testosterone levels associated with SD may be caused by serotonin-mediated inhibition of its production. Male rats were subjected to SD for 24 or 48 h using the dish-over-water-method with a Rechtschaffen apparatus. Serum testosterone, corticosterone and serotonin (5-HT) concentrations were assessed thereafter, as were testicular StAR and 5-HT 2 receptor levels. SD, regardless of duration led to significant decreases in serum testosterone levels and testicular steroid acute regulatory protein (StAR) protein expression, while 5-HT levels were significantly elevated (all P<0.05). Corticosterone concentrations were significantly increased in 48 h SD rats (P<0.05). In primary Leydig cell cultures, 5-HT decreased chorionic gonadotropin-induced testosterone secretion and StAR expression, which appeared to be dependent on 5-HT 2 receptor activation but independent of cyclic AMP signaling. These findings suggest that decreased serum testosterone levels in SD rats may be the result of 5-HT-related inhibition of testosterone production and decreased testicular expression of StAR protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Laboratory, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jung-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rick Sai-Chuen
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jyuer-Ger
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chiu-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kuen-Bao
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kuang-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Horng-Der
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D012701:Serotonin; D013739:Testosterone; D003345:Corticosterone